Institutes Equip Educators to ‘Follow the Yellow Brick Road’ to Sustainability
Meeting our state reading goals takes much more than clicking our heels three times; it involves hard work and careful planning by our Texas educators. To support this hard work, almost 5,000 teachers, literacy coaches, principals, and other dedicated educators gathered at the Texas Reading Institutes to discuss how to “follow the Yellow Brick Road” to sustaining and strengthening the gains they made under Reading First.
The four Reading Institutes, presented by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and its Texas Reading First partners, were conducted in Houston (June 22-24 and June 29-July 1); Dallas (July 27-29); and Galveston (August 10-12). At the Dallas Institute, the breakout sessions were videotaped and will become available on the Texas Reading First Web site, allowing even more teachers to participate in the professional development featured at the Institutes.
Sessions covered a variety of topics, from “Effective Literacy Workstations: Opportunities for Meaningful Learning” to “Got Data? Using All the Data and Understanding It!” to “Reading With Purpose.” The research, strategies, tools, and technical assistance provided at these Institutes were designed to give the participants the knowledge and techniques they need to build upon the Reading First foundation laid over the past six years.
Based on evaluations, as well as the comments and discussions of participants, it is clear that educators found the Reading Institutes to be a resounding success. Among the hundreds of positive comments Reading First has received, the following examples testify to the high quality of the instructional information and professional development participants experienced:
“The Institute was exceptional. You all outdid yourselves this time, as we all felt like we came away with a vast amount of information that we can actually use from day one. Tell everyone that those of us from Tarkington really appreciate all that has been done for us.”
—Jean Scott, Tarkington Primary, K-3 Reading Coach
“Thank you so much for your support. I sincerely appreciate everyone who helped the Reading Institute be a great success. I truly have gained much more knowledge that I will definitely implement in my second-grade classroom.”
—Narda Lugo, Buckner Elementary, Pharr San Juan Alamo ISD
The participants also heard the moving stories of Sandra Johnson and David Clemons, who learned to read as adults. Their personal stories exemplify the life-changing impact that good teachers have on their students, regardless of age.
Overall, the Institutes proved to be a success, providing educators from across Texas with both valuable information and tools to better lead our Texas schools. As Marsha Loyd, co-coordinator of the Reading Institutes with Faith Stevens, said, “It took an entire village to plan and deliver such successful Institutes! Our Partners, RTAs, and UT System office staff were instrumental in making these Institutes a huge success.”
Most importantly, the professionalism and participation exhibited by the educators in attendance ensured that valuable learning occurred. As they incorporate this learned knowledge into classroom instruction, these educators, and those they influence, promise to have lasting positive effects on the reading achievement of Texas students for years to come.